When it comes down to it, this movie is just a damn fun time.

Rating: 8/10 (11 July 2013)

I had certain expectations going into Pacific Rim – I just wanted to see giant robots (known as Jaeger in the movie) and giant monsters (known as Kaiju in the movie) fight. I wasn't going to mind if the characters were meaningless vessels solely to move the story along as long as the giant action scenes were done correctly, because that's what this movie is for. If I were to give you the plot of this movie I would tell you the only thing that matters is the action, and if you go into this movie with the same expectations as me, you're going to get exactly what you bargained for.
Guillermo del Toro directs this film and he does a great job at making every single action scene seem huge. Every hit in the movie packs a punch, and a hard one at that. The Jaeger vs. Kaiju battles do not disappoint in the slightest and are helped hugely by the great special effects work. The CGI in the film is top notch and makes every high- octane scene that much more intense. Not to mention the sets that the actors are in inside of the Jaeger are practical. The fact that they took the time to build sets for the actors instead of just putting them in front of a green screen is something to appreciate, and adds to the film's realism.
The Kaiju are so interesting to look at, from the effects work yes, but also out of the different designs of each one. Some of them walk, some swim, and some fly but they all look fantastic. Seriously, I couldn't help smiling seeing these things battle, it's everything the inner child in me could want. It's completely over the top, but everything in this movie is, right down to the script and acting.
Charlie Hunnam stars as our main protagonist and, although not awful, he definitely wasn't anything memorable. Anyone could have played his character. There were only 2 standouts in this movie to me – Idris Elba and Charlie Day. Elba brought a presence of force and power that the movie obviously needs, but is also the most human out of all the mostly hollow characters. Also, that guy's mustache is awesome. Just look at that thing. If I had a list of favorite mustaches, his would be towards the top. But, in my opinion, Charlie Day steals the whole movie. Maybe it's just because I'm a fan of his, but I absolutely loved every time his character was on screen. He was hilarious, but he also served as an important part of the story. That being said, whenever the movie focused on any other characters it slowed down for me because I didn't care about them as much. Luckily, the two get a lot of screen time to balance it out.
Honestly, there's not much more to say about Pacific Rim. The film follows up with exactly what it advertises – giant, incredible action. A more refined human element would have been appreciated (and if the movie had it, it would be phenomenal), but the movie is entertaining enough in its action to look past that. When it comes down to it, this movie is just a damn fun time.
Pacific Rim - 4/5